Ordinance Committee
Regular MeetingNorwalk, CT · April 15, 2025
Minutes
CITY OF NORWALK
ORDINANCE COMMITTEE
REGULAR MEETING
APRIL 15, 2025
ATTENDANCE: Lisa Shanahan, Chair; Joshua Goldstein, Johan Lopez, Nora Niedzielski-
Eicher, Jalin Sead, Anne Wennerstrand, Heather Dunn (7:13 p.m.)
OTHERS: Atty. Brian Candela, Tom Livingston, Garrett Bolella, Ryan Pothering,
State of Connecticut Office of Traffic Administration; Jim Travers,
Transportation, Mobility and Parking Director; Vanessa Valadares, Public
Works Director; Tom, DPW
CALL TO ORDER
Ms. Shanahan called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL
Ms. Shanahan called the roll. A quorum was present.
PUBLIC HEARING
A. Discuss and vote on Chapter 73A: Parking Authority, sections 73A-1 through 73A-9
Mr. Travers came forward to greet the Committee. This proposal would allow the Parking
Authority to issue parking citations city wide. Currently they are restricted to metered areas and
managed parking areas. There have been frequent requests from residents about vehicles parked
too close to the corner or other parking violations. Those requests are sent to the Police
Department who often don’t have the resources or manpower to deal with the issue. He also
mentioned resident parking issues, which have been discussed in the past.
Ms. Shanahan asked if there was anyone from the public present who wished to address the
Committee on this issue. Hearing none, Ms. Shanahan closed the Public Hearing on the Parking
Authority Sections 73A-1 through 73A-9.
Ms. Niedzielski-Eicher said that she remained unclear as to what the parking regulations were
and where they could be found. She asked for clarification. Mr. Travers gave a brief overview.
Ms. Niedzielski-Eicher had several questions about who had the authority to approve these and
ordinance is located in the City Ordinances. The procedurals are handled through the Parking
Authority. Mr. Livingston said that the parking ordinances are in Chapter 98.
City of Norwalk
Ordinance Committee
Regular Meeting
April 15, 2025 Page 1
** MS. NIEDZIELSKI-EICHER MOVED TO FORWARD CHAPTER 73A: PARKING
AUTHORITY, SECTIONS 73A-1 THROUGH 73A-9 TO THE FULL COUNCIL FOR
APPROVAL.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
B. Discuss and vote on Chapter 94: Solid Waste Collection & Disposal; Transfer Station
& Yard Waste Site
Ms. Shanahan explained that they were requesting Departments to give short synopsis of the
ordinance before they open the Public Hearing.
Ms. Valadares said that this was a reflection of a new contract that will go into effect on July 1st.
The ordinance changes are needed because of the new vendor’s requirements.
Ms. Valadares said that the Fourth District will no longer have an opt out option because it is too
confusing when properties are sold to new owners. The ordinance clarifies what is considered
residential from commercial properties. The City will be replacing the current garbage collection
containers and will not allow bags to be placed on the floor or in different bins.
Ms. Shanahan asked if there was anyone from the public present who wished to address the
Committee on Chapter 94.
Atty. Candela noted for the record, that they had not received any emails after the first Public
Hearing on Chapter 73A. They have not received any emails concerning Chapter 94.
Atty. Candela asked if there was anyone from the public present who wished to address the
Committee on Chapter 94. There were no response.
Ms. Shanahan closed the Public Hearing on Chapter 94 Solid Waste Collection & Disposal;
Transfer Station & Yard Waste Site.
Atty. Candela said that this was a time sensitive matter because DPW needs time to prepare for
the change.
** MR. SEAD MOVED TO FORWARD CHAPTER 94 SOLID WASTE COLLECTION
& DISPOSAL; TRANSFER STATION & YARD WASTE SITE TO THE FULL
COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Ms. Shanahan asked if there was anyone from the public present who wished to address the
Committee.
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Ordinance Committee
Regular Meeting
April 15, 2025 Page 2
Mr. Bonnefant of Park Hill Avenue, then addressed the Committee. He expressed concerns
about the automated traffic signals that were being considered. He said that they would be giving
out tickets to the owners of the vehicles, not the operators. He asked what locations would be
selected and which would be avoided under the guise of equity. He wished to know if an
individual could pay in person rather than by credit card. Mr. Bonnefant said that he did not
think that people were asking for red light cameras all over town and felt that this might create a
market for stolen plates.
He said that he had noticed a number of temporary plates on vehicles that were from Texas.
Traffic violation revenue goes to the State of Connecticut and parking fines stay with the Parking
Authority. Norwalk won’t get anything from this ordinance. He asked how they would handle
tracking down mopeds or Vespas that don’t have plates.
Mr. Bonnefant thanked the Committee for their time.
Ms. Dunn joined the meeting at 7:13 p.m.
Atty. Candela asked if there was anyone from the public present who wished to address the
Committee. There were no response. Ms. Shanahan closed the Public Comment portion of the
meeting.
ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES
A. Regular Meeting: Vote to accept and approve draft minutes from the March 18, 2025
regular meeting of the ordinance committee
1. Vote to accept and approve draft minutes from the March 18, 2025 regular
meeting of the Ordinance Committee
The Committee reviewed the minutes and made the corrections online.
** MS. NIEDZIELSKI-EICHER MOVED THE MINUTES OF THE MARCH 18, 2025
REGULAR MEETING AS CORRECTED.
** THE MOTION PASSED WITH SIX (6) IN FAVOR (DUNN, LOPEZ, NIEDZIELSKI-
EICHER, SEAD, SHANAHAN AND WENNERSTRAND) AND ONE (1) ABSTENTION
(GOLDSTEIN).
OLD BUSINESS
A. Discuss and vote on new proposed ordinance: Use of Automated Traffic
Enforcement Safety Devices
Mr. Livingston said that the administration was recommending the implementing the use of the
automated traffic safety devices. The State has authorized the use of these cameras.
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Ordinance Committee
Regular Meeting
April 15, 2025 Page 3
Mr. Pothering, the Transportation Supervising Engineer, was present to discuss this. He greeted
the Committee members and said that the department regulates speed limits on both State and
local road, along with passing lanes on State Highways. He spoke about the Traffic Safety
program and the Vision Zero Council in 2021 that were developing State policies to eliminate
fatalities and serious injuries for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, motorist and passengers on
all public roads in Connecticut. The ATSD program in 2023 allowed towns to use these devices
in school zones and other areas. There are certain requirements needed to use the devices. He
reviewed the various items with the Committee. The first step is creating the ordinance. Along
with a number of other requirements, a public hearing must be held for public comment about
each location of the devices as part of the plan.
The City will have to vote to approve the plan itself before it goes to the OSDA as part of their
review process. The State then reviews the plan and either accepts or denies the plan, and will
include equitably distributed locations. To date, the State has received eight applications and
approved one, which is for the Town of Washington. The State is working with the other
municipalities on their plans. Then there is a public awareness campaign and training for the
operators of the devices. After 18 months of operation, a report needs to be submitted to the OSA
and the Committee on Transportation on the effective of the device. He outlined the data to be
included in that report including the handling of the fines and what they can be used for. Personal
data will be destroyed after a certain period of time.
Mr. Livingston pointed out the fines will be given to the City and must be used for specific TMP
purposes. There is the ability to add additional amounts for administrative costs.
He also said that traffic and speeding are issues citywide and that the administration believes that
these devices will help.
Mr. Travers said that the number one issue is speeding complaints from residents. The Police
Chief is aware of this and this will not bypass the police officers. Officer will still be able to
issue citations. This will allow for citations on streets where it is not safe to pull someone over or
near school zones. This will encourage students to walk to schools. He said that this was fair and
unbiased.
Mr. Bolella said that this was basically a safety program and mentioned the Norwalk crash
database. In the last 10 years, there have been over 15,000 crashes related to aggressive driving
and over 1,000 crashes directly related to speeding. This is part of a broader speed management
strategy but doesn’t replace traditional speed enforcement. The funds will go into the TMP
investments based on the City’s Safety Action Plan.
Mr. Goldstein asked for details about the fines and whether the State or local fines would
supersede the other. Mr. Travers said that the officer issuing a ticket would be writing the
citation to the individual where the device would be issuing it to the vehicle. Discussion
followed.
City of Norwalk
Ordinance Committee
Regular Meeting
April 15, 2025 Page 4
Ms. Wennerstrand said that she supports it from a Public Safety standpoint. However, she had
concerns about the public trust and developing public awareness. She asked how the other
municipalities worked with the residents on this. Mr. Pothering said that having the public
hearing on the locations. He added that they need the minutes from the meeting to approve the
ATSD plan. Other municipalities have YouTube videos available and this is part of the public
awareness. Ms. Wennerstrand asked about using social media. Mr. Pothering said that New
Haven had a rather extensive public awareness campaign. Discussion followed.
Mr. Travers said that the TMP does everything as transparently as possible and will reach out to
other municipalities to find out how they handled it. He went on to give an overview of their
tracking of the traffic data.
Mr. Livingston said that this was not a gotcha moment. Mr. Bolella agreed and said that there
would be a lot of opportunities to get the word out. There will be signage and a 30 day period
when no citations will be given out.
Ms. Niedzielski-Eichner said that she had a lot of privacy concerns about this including from an
immigration perspective as well. She wished to know how they would verify that the vendors
would be deleting or destroying the personal data. Mr. Bolella said that there were guidelines in
the statutes and it was also included in the RFQ.
Ms. Niedzielski-Eichner wished to know what remedies would be available for residents if the
data was not being handled properly or the cameras were not being properly operated. Mr.
Livingston said that he did not think that anyone was legally prepared to answer that question.
Ms. Niedzielski-Eichner asked what would happen if the driver of a vehicle was not the owner of
the vehicle and the citation was later used against the owner of the vehicle. She asked what the
remedy would be for that individual. Mr. Pothering said that the information would not be
disclosed to any other agency. She said that this was against the vehicle and someone who was
the owner and had not done anything wrong was being dinged. Mr. Travers said that this was no
different than getting a parking ticket. Discussion followed.
Mr. Sead said that he supports this but did have concerns. He said that a number of the emails
that he gets are about speeding on the same streets over and over again. People want safe streets.
He said that there have been people complaining about discretionary pull overs but this will
move it away from that category.
Ms. Shanahan reminded everyone that this item was being approved for a public hearing.
** MR. SEAD MOVED TO SCHEDULE THE NEW PROPOSED ORDINANCE: USE OF
AUTOMATED TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT SAFETY DEVICES FOR A PUBLIC
HEARING.
City of Norwalk
Ordinance Committee
Regular Meeting
April 15, 2025 Page 5
** THE MOTION PASSED WITH SIX (6) IN FAVOR (DUNN, GOLDSTEIN, LOPEZ,
SEAD, SHANAHAN AND WENNERSTRAND) AND ONE (1) ABSTENTION
(NIEDZIELSKI-EICHER).
B. Discuss and vote on new proposed ordinance: Issuance of Citations; Hearing
Procedure
Atty. Candela said that this has been previously discussed by the Committee. He said that they
reached out to Blight and Zoning. He said that their concerns were that their processes were in
place and would not change. This would include others so there would be more processes and
hearings for health violations or other issues so that the public has the chance to challenge
citations before it goes to before an appeal is taken to Superior Court. He gave a brief overview
of the process and mentioned that the City would use an independent attorney similar to what
they do with Blight and Zoning.
Ms. Shanahan said that the Committee just wanted to be compatible with Blight and Zoning.
Atty. Candela said that as long as someone was not doing something malicious, intentional or
reckless and were doing something normal and within the course of their scope of employment,
they would be covered by this or 67A of the code. This will go for all the citation hearing
officers and the City may have to retain additional officers for this.
Ms. Niedzielski-Eichner asked if this would be the process that would handle those who had
speeding tickets or parking violations. Atty. Candela said that the Law Department deals with
parking tickets issued by both the police and the Parking Authority. The Law Department would
prefer to send this forward to a Citation Hearing Officer since the Law Department is small, so
an independent attorney would be hearing these. Health violations would also be handled this
way. The speeding tickets would most likely be handled this way since it is similar to a parking
ticket. It would be good to have an attorney that understands the laws and could hear the
arguments. Violations that are tied to real property may also be handled by this ordinance and
could include leaf blowers. Discussion followed.
Ms. Dunn asked how they would find attorneys for these cases. Atty. Candela said that there
were some attorneys that work with Blight and Zoning, so they would have to check into it. He
said that he didn’t have an answer to that question. He said that it would be important to know
when the Committee would want to start. That would give the Law Department time to find
volunteers to hear the cases.
Ms. Niedzielski-Eichner asked if there would be a per diem rater or if that would even be
considered. Atty. Candela said that the Law Department sits as the arbiter of the parking tickets
right now. He said that he would prefer to avoid this so there are no future conflicts. He
mentioned former City Counsel Bob Maslin who was very good and knowledgeable.
Ms. Niedzielski-Eichner asked about Section 3 and said that 12 months seems very long to her.
She suggested that it be made a shorter window. Atty. Candela said that the 12 month window is
City of Norwalk
Ordinance Committee
Regular Meeting
April 15, 2025 Page 6
from the State statute. The State wants to have these cases before the citation officer as quickly
as possible. Atty. Candela said that there have been some times the citation officer is the one
asking for a continuance.
Ms. Niedzielski-Eichner said that she believes 30 days is a little short. Atty. Candela said that if
the State statute doesn’t indicate 30 days, that is something that they can talk about and
potentially change.
** MS. NIEDZIELSKI-EICHNER MOVED TO SCHEDULE THE NEW PROPOSED
ORDINANCE: ISSUANCE OF CITATIONS; HEARING PROCEDURE FOR A PUBLIC
HEARING IN MAY.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
NEW BUSINESS
A. Discuss and vote on Code of Ethics, Section 32-11, Subsequent Employment
Atty. Candela said that this was time sensitive and addressed issues about subsequent
employment when an individual has served as an officer or employee and working for the same
agency. He gave an overview of the problem with the Health Department retaining Medical
Directors. She said that there was a candidate with a strong resume. They were requesting that
this position be the one exception to the ordinance.
Ms. Niedzielski-Eichner said that allowing one particular position seemed strange, but she didn’t
see a conflict with having a Commissioner becoming an employee.
Ms. Wennerstrand asked if it would set a precedent for the future. Atty. Candela said that they
had crafted the language for this specific position. Discussion followed. Atty. Candela said that
he could develop some additional language to clarify this issue and bring it back to the
Committee. He said that he would be happy to work with the Committee members on the
language. He added that they could ask for an advisory opinion from the Ethics Committee about
this and use that as a guide. Atty. Candela said that they had already presented this to the Ethics
Committee.
DISCUSSION
There were no items for additional discussion at this time.
ADJOURNMENT
** MS. NIEDZIELSKI-EICHNER MOVED TO ADJOURN.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
The meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
City of Norwalk
Ordinance Committee
Regular Meeting
April 15, 2025 Page 7
Respectfully submitted
S. L. Soltes
Telesco Secretarial Services.
City of Norwalk
Ordinance Committee
Regular Meeting
April 15, 2025 Page 8
Packet
REGULAR MEETING – ORDINANCE COMMITTEE
AGENDA
APRIL 15, 2025, 7:00 PM
BY ZOOM VIRTUAL MEETING
To allow public access, anyone may access a meeting by telephone and/or Zoom, or a recording in the City of
Norwalk YouTube channel. Specific instructions and links can be found at norwalkct.gov/meetings.
Members of the public may call in to participate. Callers will not be able to see the meeting
participants. All participants will be muted upon entering the meeting. To speak, dial *9 on the phone
and you will be called on by the host of the meeting during the public comment section. All speakers
must state their name and address. Comments must be on a topic on the agenda, and are limited to
three minutes. Anyone disrupting the orderly conduct of the meeting, including by using threatening,
hateful, or sexually-explicit language, will be removed. Please find the information using the link
above.
Members of the public who wish to provide "live comments" may also use the Zoom meeting platform.
All participants will be muted upon entering the meeting. To speak, click the “raise your hand
indicator” and you will be called by the host of the meeting during the public comment section. All
speakers must state their name and address. Comments must be on a topic on the agenda, and are
limited to three minutes. Anyone disrupting the orderly conduct of the meeting, including by using
threatening, hateful, or sexually-explicit language, will be removed. Please find the information using
the link above.
Members of the public who wish to provide public comment are encouraged to submit those via email
in advance of the meeting. For these comments to be included into the record, they must be
submitted by 12:00 p.m. the day of the meeting. Please email Brian Candela at
bcandela@norwalkct.gov with the subject line “Public Comment” to provide written public comment
prior to the meeting.
I. CALL TO ORDER
II. ROLL CALL
III. PUBLIC HEARING
A. Discuss and vote on Chapter 73A: Parking Authority, sections 73A-1 through 73A-9
B. Discuss and vote on Chapter 94: Solid Waste Collection & Disposal; Transfer Station
& Yard Waste Site
IV. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
V. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES
A. Regular Meeting: Vote to accept and approve draft minutes from the March 18, 2025
regular meeting of the ordinance committee
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1. Vote to accept and approve draft minutes from the March 18, 2025 regular meeting of
the ordinance committee
VI. OLD BUSINESS
A. Discuss and vote on new proposed ordinance: Use of Automated Traffic
Enforcement Safety Devices
B. Discuss and vote on new proposed ordinance: Issuance of Citations; Hearing
Procedure
VII. NEW BUSINESS
A. Discuss and vote on Code of Ethics, Section 32-11, Subsequent Employment
VIII. DISCUSSION
IX. ADJOURNMENT
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CITY OF NORWALK
ORDINANCE COMMITTEE
REGULAR MEETING
MARCH 18, 2025
VIA ZOOM VIRTUAL MEETING.
ATTENDANCE: Margaret (Lisa) Shanahan; Chair, Anne Wennerstrand, Heather Dunn,
Jalin Sead, Nora Niedzielski-Eichner, Johan Lopez
STAFF: Brian Candela
OTHER: Donald Overton; Board of Assessment and Appeals, James Walsh;
Police Chief, Garrett Bolella; Assistant Director, TMP, John Livingston,
Bryan Lutz; Assistant Director of Parking, Nathan Fankhanel, Vannessa
Valadares; Chief of Operations and Public Works, Chris Torre;
Superintendent of Operations, Thomas Szabo; Waste programs
Manager.
I. CALL TO ORDER
Ms. Shanahan called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
II. ROLL CALL
The roll was called as reflected above. A quorum was present.
III. PUBLIC HEARING
A. • Discuss and vote on Section 103-14 Appointment of members; increase in
membership (Board of Assessment Appeals)
There were no members of the public who wished to speak on the matter.
CITY OF NORWALK
ORDINANCE COMMITTEE
REGULAR MEETING
MARCH 18, 2025 Page 1
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** MS. DUNN MOVED TO SEND SECTION 103-14 TO THE COMMON
COUNCIL.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
B. • Discuss and vote on Vape Shop ordinance.
Diane Lauricella
21 Little Fox Lane
Ms. Lauricella said she was happy the committee was looking into vape shops. She stated in light
of the mission and purpose of the ordinance, Ms. Lauricella would like to see an amendment
related to who is in charge of educating the public on the dangers of smoking and vape shops.
She expressed her fears that transferring the bulk of the responsibility to the city clerk's office
would be less of an effort to inform the public. She noted her agreement with others that there
are too many vape shops, and she felt their numbers should be controlled just like cannabis
shops.
** MS. DUNN MOVED TO SEND THE VAPE SHOP ORDINANCE TO THE
COMMON COUNCIL.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
IV. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Diane Lauricella
21 Little Fox Lane
Ms. Lauricella commented that agenda items 6 A. and 6 B. should not be voted on at this time.
She gave her list of comments on Chapter 94. She stated that the language of the document made
little attempt to emphasize reducing and recycling waste. She said she would love to see an
amendment to the language that includes the use of reuse and recycle especially in the areas of
food and bulky waste. She went on to list language she felt was missing that should be included.
Ms. Lauricella also commented on violations and penalties. She indicated she had seen multiple
violations that to her knowledge had not received any penalty. She also listed her complaints
about the current citation procedures and a lack of hearing officers.
Mr. Candela explained that no ordinance can be approved without first having a public hearing.
CITY OF NORWALK
ORDINANCE COMMITTEE
REGULAR MEETING
MARCH 18, 2025 Page 2
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He then stated they had already had a public hearing on this ordinance.
Diane Cece
37 Olmstead Place
Ms. Cece told the committee the public shouldn’t be compelled to sit through or watch hours of
meetings to understand what’s being done. She stated a staff member or someone from the
committee produces executive summary-type statements for the public.
V. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES
A. • February 18, 2025 – regular meeting of the ordinance committee
** MR. SEAD MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE
FEBRUARY 18, 2025 MEETING.
Ms. Niedzielski-Eichner said on the top of page five the term *judgment lean* should be
changed to *judgement lien*
** THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS AMENDED PASSED
UNANIMOUSLY.
Ms. Shanahan asked for a motion to move the items listed under new business ahead of the items
listed under old business.
** MS. DUNN MOVED TO DISCUSS THE TWO NEW BUSINESS ITEMS
BEFORE THE DISCUSSION OF OLD BUSINESS.
VI. OLD BUSINESS
A. • Discuss and vote on Chapter 94: Solid Waste Collection & Disposal; Transfer
Station & Yard Waste Site
Ms. Valadares discussed the changes made to the proposed ordinance. She said the changes
reflect what’s in the draft of the Strategic Plan presented to the common council. She highlighted
the major changes to the ordinance. The first item is the removal of the option to opt-out in all
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ORDINANCE COMMITTEE
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MARCH 18, 2025 Page 3
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four tax districts. The second item deals with the standardization of the containers used. She
noted they would be issuing new bins to residential properties defined as having four or fewer
units. She added the vendors will only pick up garbage from those bins. Ms. Valadares also
explained they wouldn’t collect overflow garbage in bags on the sidewalk. She then went on to
discuss various definitions used in the ordinance making sure they align with local, state, and
federal definitions. She stated they defined what is acceptable solid waste, bulky solid waste,
hazardous waste, and recyclable waste. Ms. Valadares told Ms. Niedzielski-Eichner that the
noise issue that concerned her had been addressed. She also mentioned the change in language
that allows them to fine those in violation of the ordinance.
Mr. Candela gave a synopses of the changes that include:
No more opt-outs for residential dwellings
Commercial operations must submit proof of a garbage contract
Bins must be placed out and removed from the street in a timely fashion
One ton of free garbage is for all garbage
Standardized bins
Ms. Valadares said the new contract that goes into place on July 1, 2025, will reflect everything
covered in the ordinance.
Ms. Niedzielski-Eichner wanted to know why the new language in 94-16 and 94-17 was
sufficient to allow for fining those who violated the ordinance. Mr. Candela was confident the
change of language would be enough. He indicated the process would allow people to go before
a citation hearing officer and appeal. Ms. Niedzielski-Eichner wanted clarification on whether
changes could be made to the ordinance if necessary. Ms. Valadares said yes and then cited an
example. Ms.Niedzielski-Eichner then asked about the ability of public outreach to cover more
than just new bins. Ms. Valadares discussed what they have planned for public outreach. She
stated as soon as the ordinance was in place they would finalize the plans for public outreach.
She also noted they were working with the vendor’s marketing staff.
Mr. Sead asked if it would be possible to create a one-page summary as suggested by Ms. Cece
to inform the public about the changes. Ms. Shanahan said she would talk the matter over with
Mr. Candela.
** MR. SEAD MOVED TO TAKE CHAPTER 94: SOLID WASTE
COLLECTION & DISPOSAL; TRANSFER STATION & YARD WASTE
SITE TO A PUBLIC HEARING ON APRIL 15, 2025.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
CITY OF NORWALK
ORDINANCE COMMITTEE
REGULAR MEETING
MARCH 18, 2025 Page 4
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B. • Discuss and vote on new proposed ordinance: Issuance of Citations; Hearing
Procedure
Mr. Candela provided clarification to multiple points brought up by Ms. Dunn at the previous
meeting. He said if they wanted they could take another month to look over the issuance of
citations and hearings before sending it over for a public hearing. Ms.Shanahan was curious
whether this was based on another city ordinance. Mr. Candela said it was a collection of
between 12 and 15 other municipal ordinances describing a general citation and issuance
process.
Ms. Niedzielski-Eichner asked if this was an answer to what happens if people ignore the
existing blight and zoning process. Mr. Candela said it was his understanding. In response to Ms.
Niedzielski-Eichner's question about the choice of 12 months, Mr. Candela said he based that on
what was found in other ordinances. Mr. Candela felt it was probably a good idea to take another
month to familiarize themselves with the material and the people involved before sending it to
the public hearing. He said he would contact Attorney Sapienza who does blight enforcement to
see what his thoughts about timing are.
Ms. Shanahan stated they would move this forward to the next meeting on April, 18th.
VII. NEW BUSINESS
A. • Discuss new proposed ordinance: Use of Automated Traffic Enforcement Safety
Devices
Mr. Livingston gave an overview of the use of automated traffic enforcement safety devices. H
indicated the state has passed legislation authorizing municipalities to set up speed and red light
cameras providingthey satisfied various conditions. Mr. Livingston duscussed the various
conditions required to satisfy state guidelines. He stated what they have to do as a municipality is
adopt the ordinance. He noted the ordinance being brought before the committee was modeled
on the New London, Stamford and Hartford ordinances.
Mr. Bolella described the devices as speed cameras and red light cameras that collect alleged
violations via recorded images. He pointed out the city had a significant number of crashes
related to aggressive driving and speeding. He referred to this program as another way they can
make the city's roadways safer. He went on to say any fees related to an ATD program are
required to be reinvested into the community to improve mobility, safety of the roadways, and
improvements to the transportation infrastructure. He also noted that the fees could be used to
make the program self-sufficient. Mr. Bolella stated the Connecticut General Statutes are very
specific on where the devices can be installed. He indicated the discussion of the ordinance was
the first step and would be followed by public hearings. He noted with its adoption they would
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ORDINANCE COMMITTEE
REGULAR MEETING
MARCH 18, 2025 Page 5
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go through the necessary steps to partner with a vendor and develop a plan. He made a point of
stating nothing can be installed without a comprehensive plan, a public meeting related
specifically to the plan, and it coming back to the council for approval before it can be submitted
to the DOT. He explained that the DOT is the body that approves all the plans. Mr. Bolella
proceeded to outline the next steps.
Ms. Niedzielski-Eichner expressed her concerns about privacy issues being only as good as the
vendor's reliability. She brought up what she felt were increasing national risks for surveillance.
She asked who they have discussed privacy issues with and if there is an independent analysis of
the data collection and disposal practices of the vendors being considered. Mr. Livingston stated
they hadn’t put out an RFP, but those are things they would be asking prospective vendors. He
noted the state already has strict guidelines on the subject. Mr. Golello reiterated the state already
has strict guidelines for how the data can be used and it has to be destroyed 30 days after
payment for the violation. He stated they could make sure the data is stored exclusively in the
United States. In response to Ms. Niedzielski-Eichner, Mr. Bolello explained the devices will
only take images if triggered. The data collected will then be used to generate a citation. I noted
in response to Ms. Niedzielski-Eichner that there is a human review to be done by the vendor to
screen each of the violations. It would then go to either the police department or the Traffic
Authority before a citation is issued. Mr. Bolello then discussed the appeals process. Payment for
the violation starts the 30-day clock. Mr. Livingston read the section of the state guidelines
explaining how the data should be handled and destroyed. Ms. Niedzielski-Eichner said she still
had concerns and wanted to do more research on the subject.
Ms. Wennerstrand commented on the issue of engaging the public trust in the program. She feels
there's a lot that needs to be discussed if the program goes forward. Mr. Livingston suggested
having a vendor come to a meeting to talk to the committee.
Mr. Sead said he understands the concerns but for public safety, he thinks this is a great thing to
move forward. He stated that he felt public safety was the most important issue and he was
excited to move the program forward.
Ms. Shanahan put forward bringing the issue up at the April 18th meeting at which time a vendor
can address their concerns about data collection and disposal.
B. • Discuss Chapter 73A: Parking Authority, sections 73A-1 through 73A-9
Mr. Livingston gave some background on the amendment of the state statute which gives
Parking Authorities statewide the ability to enforce local traffic laws. Previously this was
handled by the police department a situation that was deemed a poor use of the city's resources.
Mr. Livingston noted that Chapter 73A sections A-1 to A-9 give the Parking Authority the power
and authority to enforce the parking regulations and receive amounts remitted to the city for
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violations of the parking regulations.
Ms. Dunn had a question about who would be overseeing this in the long term. Mr. Lutz stated
currently they were contracted with LAZ Parking, He noted should they contract with another
party the responsibility would go to them. Ms. Dunn asked if it would come out of the TMP
budget. Mr. Livingston stated the fees go to the Traffic Authority for the purpose of enforcement.
Ms. Niedzielski-Eichner wanted to know if the policy aspects of the ordinance would be handled
by city employees and not be outsourced. Mr. Lutz explained the ordinance changes would give
the Parkin Authority the operational capabilities to do enforcement. He then said he thought any
policy or procedure that gets put in place to make things operational would go to the parking
authority board for approval.
Ms. Niedzielski-Eichner brought up the addition of the director of the TMP and the removal of
Public Works. Mr. Livingston noted that the removal of Public Works in the ordinance reflects
the current city structure.
Ms. Wennerstrand requested Mr. Livingston elaborate on the potential benefits. Mr. Livingston
noted that until now the Parking Authority could not implement a residential parking program.
Mr. Lutz explained that previously the Park Authority could only issue violations on m etered
and time sensitive and time regulated spaces.
Niedzielski-Eichner was looking for clarification as to who would implement the establishment
of zones. Mr. Lutz indicated the Parking Authority would have the ability to establish those
rules. He cited the system used by Stamford as an example. Ms. Niedzielski-Eichner then asked
if the parking regulations for the city would then be defined by the Parking Authority. Mr
Livingston pointed out the certain language is used in the State Enabling Statute. Still looking for
clarity Ms. Niedzielski-Eichner wanted to know if the creation of zones would require the
ordinance to be modified and go through the Ordinance Committee. Mr. Livingston said to her
point they would have to look into all this as they move forward.
** MR. LOPEZ MOVED TO SEND CHAPTER 73A: PARKING
AUTHORITY, SECTIONS 73A-1 THROUGH 73A-9 TO PUBLIC
HEARING ON APRIL 18, 2025.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
VIII. DISCUSSION
There were no other items discussed.
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IX. ADJOURNMENT
** MS. NIEDZIELSKI-EICHNER MOVED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
The meeting adjourned at 8:26 p.m.
Respectfully submitted
China Mayhew
Telesco Secretarial Services
CITY OF NORWALK
ORDINANCE COMMITTEE
REGULAR MEETING
MARCH 18, 2025 Page 8
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